It is desirable to eliminate or at least to control odors that result from various activities and/or which are associated with certain objects and places. For instance, the repugnant odor that is sometimes experienced in public restrooms can be almost overwhelming. Portable toilets also commonly emit malodors. Garbage cans, dumpsters, trash bags, dirty clothes hampers, and a wide variety of other articles used in homes, commercial settings and industry can also be the source of unpleasant odors.
Frequent and thorough cleaning is an age-old and generally effective way to control odors in many settings. The methodical cleaning of an article removes or destroys odor-causing bacteria and other materials that can be the source of odors. Over the years, excellent cleaning products and disinfectants, including soaps and detergents containing antimicrobial agents, have been developed. However, in some cases cleaning is not an effective or practical means for odor control.
In addition to cleaning products there are numerous commercially available compositions which can be used to control or reduce the level of various odors. These odor management compositions can be divided into three categories which are based on their functionality. These categories of odor management compositions are defined as odor masking compositions (which masks odors through the use of fragrances or perfumes), deodorizing/sanitizing compositions, which bind to odors or eliminate the microorganisms that are responsible for the production of said odors, and combination odor masking and deodorizing/sanitizing compositions (which bind to odors and eliminate the microorganisms responsible for the production of said odors, as well as introducing a perfume or fragrance). Odor masking compositions primarily function by providing a large quantity of a perfume or fragrance that overwhelms the senses, masking odors without removing or modifying the source of said odor. Deodorizing/sanitizing compositions function by containing active agents that function in a deodorizing and antimicrobial capacity. The deodorizing agents chemically bind to existing odors deactivating them, while the antimicrobial agents are responsible for eliminating the microorganisms responsible for the production of said odors. Combination odor masking and deodorizing/sanitizing compositions are provided with both a deodorizing/sanitizing agent and an odor masking composition that eliminates the source of a particular odor while providing an additional fragrance or perfume to the area of application. Of these odor management compositions, deodorizing/sanitizing compositions are of particular interest due to their various applications and incorporation into new and existing odor management systems.
Current deodorizing/sanitizing compositions can be formulated using a plurality of active deodorizing/sanitizing agents. One of these active sanitizing agents includes sodium tetraborate decahydrate, commonly known as “borax.” Borax is a boron salt that has the chemical formula Na2[B4O5(OH)4].8H2O in solution. Borax is able to function as a deodorizing/sanitizing agent as a result of its co-complexing ability that enables it to stably bind with various substances forming complex ions. The ability to form complex ions enables borax to function as a deodorizing agent but additionally grants it antimicrobial properties. These antimicrobial properties are a result of the borax formed complex ions inhibiting key metabolic pathways of several microorganisms.
Another active deodorizing/sanitizing agent is colloidal silver. Colloidal silver is metallic silver nanoparticles formed after ionization of silver or as a result of a chemical reaction which synthesize zero valent silver from mono valent silver cations. The zero valent silver cations that are formed, disperse in a colloidal suspension, wherein the colloidal suspension provides the silver nanoparticles separated between 10 nanometers (nm) to 100 nanometers (nm) apart from another silver nanoparticle. Through this unique arrangement, silver nanoparticles have unique optical, electrical and thermal properties, in part due to significant surface area to volume ratio. The colloidal dispersal of the silver nanoparticles grants a solution with silver nanoparticles with deodorizing and antimicrobial properties. The deodorizing properties are provided by the ability of the silver nanoparticles to react with substances more frequently due to the surface area to volume ratio. The antimicrobial properties are provided by the ability of the silver nanoparticles to inhibit aerobic metabolism in various microorganisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,392,784 provides an odor management composition and a method for creating said odor management composition containing the active deodorizing and antimicrobial agents of silver nanoparticles in a colloidal suspension, commonly known as colloidal silver, and sodium tetraborate decahydrate, commonly known as borax. The method of U.S. Pat. No. 9,392,784 creates a combination colloidal silver borax solution through an in situ reaction that occurs at standard temperature and pressure values, between a formulated borax solution and a formulated silver nanoparticle source solution. The resulting colloidal silver borax solution results in a deodorizing and antimicrobial solution that eliminates various odors and reduces microbial presence responsible for the production of said odors. Additionally, the colloidal silver borax solution is reported to have long-term shelf stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,392,784 more specifically reveals an odor eliminating solution comprises the active deodorizing and antimicrobial agents of silver nanoparticles dispersed in colloidal suspension in a solution containing excess sodium tetraborate decahydrate, commonly referred to as borax. The silver nanoparticles provide deodorizing and antimicrobial properties through the colloidal dispersion which provides a high surface area to volume ratio for the suspension. The sodium tetraborate decahydrate provides deodorizing and antimicrobial properties through its co-complexing ability with various substances. The combination of both is reported to provide long term stability as well as deodorizing and antimicrobial activity.
The problem associated with water which is contaminated with harmful materials is a serious problem which is of growing concern. For instance, water supplies can easily become contaminated with toxic compounds from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural sources. More specifically, in the world today water supplies from lakes, rivers, and underground sources are frequently contaminated with phosphates, chromates, arsenates, and a wide variety of dangerous organic compounds. In other cases, it is important to be capable of effectively removing toxic compounds which are intentionally introduced into bodies of water or the air by terrorist groups or in warfare. For example, the ability to effectively remove gases used in warfare, such as mustard gas or nerve gas, from air is of critical importance.
A technique for the purification of contaminated water is described in “Surface Engineered Zeolite: An Active Interface for Rapid Adsorption and Degradation of Toxic Contaminants in Water” by Ruchi Shaw, Richa Sharma, Sangeeta Tiwari, and Sandeep Kumar Tiwari, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2016, 8, 12520-12527. In this method zeolite is surface modified to form novel multifunctional materials having capability for simultaneous and facile removal of heavy metals [Pb(II)], organic pollutants [methylene blue dye], and microorganisms [E. Coli, S. Aureus, and Pseudomonas] from contaminated water. The procedure involves formation of core-shell particles with a functional core of zeolite and a porous shell of ZnO nanoflakes which not only imparts photocatalytic and antibacterial properties but also renders the surface negatively charged, thereby facilitating rapid adsorption of Pb(II) and methylene blue dye. However, the procedure described in this publication is of questionable commercial applicability.
Free standing and strong odor-removing composite films of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) with a high content of nanoporous zeolite adsorbents made by being colloidally processed are described in “Nanocellulose-Zeolite Composite Films for Odor Elimination” by Neda Keshavarzi, Farshid Mashayekhy Rad, Amber Mace, Farhan Ansari, Farid Akhtar, Ulrika Nilsson, Lars Berglund, and Lennart Bergstro, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2015, 7, 14254-14262. In this publication it is reported that thermogravimetric desorption analysis and infrared spectroscopy combined with computational simulations showed that commercially available silicalite-1 and ZSM-5 have a high affinity and uptake of volatile odors like ethanethiol and propanethiol. It is further reported that these materials are also effective in the presence of water.